Winter Hearts

Given Away

Panos parked the car and he and George got out and walked into the club.

It was past opening hour but the car park was still a little empty as it was a weeknight. He knew there were several regulars who would always be there, nightowls who came for the company rather than the dancing or the drinking.

The party at the hotel was still going on, but he and George felt they had to check on Stavros straight away before he did anything rash, even if he had no intentions to do anything with that footage at all.  They had decided against waiting til the morning to see Stavros away from the workplace. There was the possibility that he could react badly to their intervention, whether he was innocent of any wrongdoing or not, but they felt the urgency of the situation called for their immediate action.

They had said their goodnights and left.

As they walked out to the car, he got a text from Hongbin asking if he could go with them to see Stavros. Panos thought it was not a good idea, and let Hongbin know they would settle this business without him as it was an in-house matter.

He knew what potential situations Hongbin was thinking about - and he thought it wise that if Stavros were really up to no good and knew the identity of Leo, that no one from the group be there when they confronted him. Hongbin agreed with that, but he let him know about the potential outcomes of that footage getting out, if seen under the wrong context.

Panos was surprised by how much detail Hongbin went into all the possible scenarios that could arise. It was as if he was reciting textbook information, he knew them so well. He realised that, although nothing could be certain, any potential outcome could be construed as scandalous and this was a huge worry for the group.

Panos wanted to make sure that the situation was controlled immediately.

He went up to the bar while George opened up the office.

Stavros was there already, chatting idly with the other bartender, Eleni at the bar.

"Yeiasas. Kyrie Stavros, ena lepto parakalo," he asked Stavros for a minute, waiting patiently as Stavros exchanged looks with Eleni before coming out of the bar to follow him to the office.

Inside, George leaned on the desk, waiting, and gestured to Stavros to sit on the couch. Panos pulled up a chair and they began. George cut straight to the matter at hand.

"You were in the park filming me today," George began, as it was obvious that Stavros knew what this was about.

Stavros laughed, a bitchy smirk on his face.

"Oh come on Mr George, why would I be filming you?"

Panos felt his anger surge. Stavros had a way of stirring up his ire with an immediate effect. He glanced at George, who kept an admirably cool countenance as he stared Stavros down.

"That is what I asked myself too, actually. Why would my bartender be filming me?"

Stavros scoffed, turning to let his eyes roam about the office. The staff rarely came in here, and Panos thought it just like Stavros, that even under these circumstances, his greedy gossip eyes were feasting on details he was already making mental notes about.

Now, now, Panos told himself. Easy on the presumptions. He drew a slow, calming breath.

When George didn't press any further, Stavros turned back to look at him. The silence was uncomfortable for him, and Panos could see it was riling him up. He was used to reacting with vitriol, but he certainly wasn't one to take the lead in an offensive strike.

He's a coward, thought Panos. He feels better about his cowardice by backtalking, side talking and dropping bitchy remarks, and making himself feel bigger than he really is.